The Ale House

I haven't been to the Ale House in years...many years...Back then...it was a dark, dirty, dungeon...Since then...its been painted, the lights have been turned on, and it seems like a much friendlier place.  The bar is mostly regulars who are very friendly with the staff...A lot of people know a lot of people's names in there...I stopped in because I knew what I wanted...a Hot Roast Beef Sandwich!  I went back for that same reason...the Hot Roast Beef Sandwich...and I'll go back again for the same reason...The Hot Roast Beef Sandwich...I've had 2 in one week now, and will try to hold out a few more days before I get my third...I'm dangerously close to  having someone in there know my name...and have a feeling that they will after a few more sandwiches!  

I ordered mine wet with american cheese...wet means they quickly dunk the sandwich in the Au Jus...the beef was cut VERY thin and layered nicely on a Kaiser roll with some american cheese with a little cup of Au Jus on the side...a bit of horseradish and I was set to dig in...I did not specify rare or medium or well done, but I have heard others order it that way...I got a wonderful combination of rare and medium sliced beef layered on the sandwich with tender loving care...I haven't come across any gristle in a sandwich yet and left absolutely NOTHING on my plate, aside from a bit of Au Jus...the lack of gristle is a huge plus...You won't have to fight this sandwich to eat it, it will go down nice and smooth!

They also have hand carved turkey breast, but as I said...the beef was the reason I was there, and the reason I'll be going back!  They have added more beers on tap and have a better selection of bottled beer as well.  

The service was solid both times I was there...friendly wait staff, and not just to the regulars!  I'm a bit mystified at the 1 star reviews(friends of the old owners?), but I have only had the roast beef sandwich so can't speak on much else, but they get 4 stars in my book!

My boyfriend and I ate here today during his lunch break.  I liked the cozy atmosphere but the food was lackluster.  I ordered a cup of lobster bisque and a caesar salad with grilled chicken while my boyfriend got a cup of clam chowder and a chicken parm sandwich.

When my salad arrived, it had no grilled chicken.  No big deal - the waitress might have misheard me and I was fine eating the salad sans chicken.  Although the salad was nicely chopped, it was dull and didn't contain much to justify it's price.  It was very light romaine, a few croutons, and grated cheese sprinkled over top.  I did appreciate that the dressing came on the side but to me it seemed more like a side salad than something I would eat as a meal.

The lobster bisque was thick and rich but the flavor wasn't that great.  I did like the clam chowder that my boyfriend ordered.  He felt that his chicken parm sandwich was just okay.

I can't really comment on the beer selection as we only got a Sam Adams and didn't try anything else.

Overall, this place was okay for lunch but I feel like it was kind of overpriced for the quality of food.  It's not expensive, but for the price, I think I could have gotten better food elsewhere.  Maybe it was just what we ordered, but with so many places to try in the area, I don't think we will be back to the Ale House.

Since this was bought out the food and service has gone down hill.  My family used to be regulars here but haven't been back in over a year since the new owners changed everything around.  It went from quality, to crap.  Don't waste your time.